OCEANSIDE  An Oceanside woman is set on showing deployed service members that folks back home are thinking about them. For nearly a decade, Sandee Murphy has been putting together care packages for military members in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom are from Camp Pendleton. She calls the effort Hugs from Home.

The hugs consist of morale boosting notes packed with everything from lip balm, cough drops and socks to tuna, candy and fly swatters donated by community members and area businesses.

“It tells them we care,” Murphy said.

Murphy helps pay for postage by collecting recycables, like bottles and cans and turning them in for cash.

Murphy started Hugs from Home in 2008 with help from the Oceanside Elks Lodge 1516, which gave her two rooms in the basement of their lodge to store and assemble boxes. Elks members have donated items and volunteered with packing.

Murphy sends out 15 to 20 boxes per month, depending largely on how much money she has for postage, which costs about $30 per 12”x12”x12” box. Each box contains 50 quart-sized goddie bags.

Murphy was recently recognized for her efforts by local Congressman Darrell Issa, who sent her a letter of commendation.

Her efforts began in 2005 when she volunteered with another group assembling care packages for deployed military. After the group moved away, she wanted to continue because she saw how much it boosted morale, so she founded Hugs from Home.

Since then she has sent hundreds of boxes.

Murphy keeps all the thank you letters she receives from troops and shows them to her volunteers.

“You read the letters and you know how little it is that we do, but how much they appreciate it,” said volunteer Lois Gadol.

Murphy tells volunteers about the mother of a service member who wrote to her. The mother said she found a note in her son’s wallet after he died. It thanked him for his service. The note came from Hugs from Home.

Donations of items for care packages or money for postage can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 444 Country Club Lane, Oceanside. Items needed include small toiletries, socks, magazines, coffee, games, inflatable soccer balls, portable showers, fly swatters, bug repellent, duct tape and safety pins. Volunteers are also needed.